Author: On Common Ground News

DeKalb County law enforcement officials, the District Attorney and Solicitor General are inviting clergy leaders to a joint meeting that will be held on Nov. 9, noon, at Clairmont Presbyterian Church. Officials are implementing an innovative new program called the One Congregation One Precinct (OneCOP) initiative aimed at increasing public safety and strengthening police-community relations. The objectives of the OneCOP initiative include: 1) improving public safety through collaboration and information sharing to prevent, combat and solve crimes by tapping into the varied resources of faith-based institutions; 2) increasing community engagement with patrol-level officers, via congregations, resulting in decreased biases and…

Demolition began on the “Cinder Block Inn,” an eyesore so nicknamed after standing nearly 10 years unfinished along I-20 East at Turner Hill Road near the Mall at Stonecrest. When Zenon & Zenon Contractors, Inc. of Stockbridge arrived around 4 p.m. on Oct. 11, Mayor Jason Lary put on a hard hat and climbed into the excavator as if it were a giant Tonka truck. He didn’t hesitate to shift the gears to help bring down the half-built structure. Lary said the demolition fulfills a 2016 campaign promise he made to rid the city of the abandoned hotel, which…

Please note that prices for the Expo on Oct. 21 have been removed, courtesy of the event supporters. By Mackenzie N. Morgan Over 200 influencers and tastemakers showed up to celebrate the launch of the DeKalb Entertainment Commission, a new division of Decide DeKalb, the county’s economic development authority. The Oct. 11 event at the DeKalb History Center in downtown Decatur brought together people from various industries in government, film, television, music and digital entertainment for an evening of networking, live music and hors d’oeuvres and libations provided by sponsor Jack Daniels. The event was emceed by radio personality…

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has signed an ordinance that eliminates jail time as a penalty for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana. The maximum penalty would be $75 under the city’s new code. City officials said the ordinance does not legalize or decriminalize possession of marijuana. Rather, it addresses the disparity in the punishment for possession. “I am pleased to sign this ordinance, which eliminates jail time as a penalty for a conviction for possession of less than an ounce, into law,” said Mayor Reed. “People of color, young and low-income people are disproportionately jailed – with…

Family and friends have established a scholarship fund to honor the legacy of Georgia civil rights champion Frank Bates, who was remembered during memorial services at Fairfield Baptist Church in Lithonia and Bates’ hometown, Greater Level Hill Baptist Church in Crawfordville, Georgia. Bates died of a heart attack on Sept. 30. He was 69. DeKalb County School Board member Vickie B. Turner, a friend of the Bates family for over 50 years, said the scholarship fund was announced at the Fairfield Baptist Church memorial service on Oct. 5. “We wanted a way to keep his memory alive and I suggested…

Rockdale County Chairman Oz Nesbitt, Sr. will provide an overview of the Restoration Storehouse project slated to move into the Rockdale County Government Annex Building at 1400 Parker Road in Conyers. Government staff and others housed in the building are being relocated in phases as Restoration Storehouse begins renovating for a one-stop operation that will provide an array of services to the needy. Nesbitt is hosting the community open house on Monday, Oct. 30, 6 p.m., and inviting citizens, church leaders and nonprofits to learn how they may participate in the centralized services that will be offered. While Nesbitt says…

In support of October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, the Rockdale County Board of Commissioners held its “Pink Out” at the Oct. 10 meeting. Not only did the board don pink, but so did other county leaders and members of the public who attended the meeting to show their support of breast cancer awareness. The BOC presented a proclamation highlighting October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Pink Pooch Organization for the 5th Annual Pink Pooch Parade and Festival, which will take place on Sunday, Oct. 29. With breast cancer affecting hundreds of thousands of women and, in rare…

By Valerie J. Morgan   I’ve dined by candlelight plenty of times, but never shared a meal in complete darkness. So, when my husband, Glenn, and I recently were invited to a fundraiser in Atlanta called “Dining in the Dark,” we went out of curiosity. The three-course Sunday dinner not only gave us an opportunity to witness firsthand a window into a world of darkness, it provided a deeper appreciation of the exemplary work the Center for the Visually Impaired (CVI) is doing to empower those with vision loss or completely blind. The Dining in the Dark event is one…

Librarians expect lots of questions from patrons about where to find a book or DVD they are looking for and what online resource is best for information about car repair. Librarians at DeKalb County Public Library (DCPL) realized they were also getting questions that were much more difficult for them to answer—like “Where do I go if I’m being evicted?” So they decided to do something about it. This October, the New Librarians Committee, made up of librarians who have been with DCPL for less than a year, launched a website they developed for patrons who need help beyond what…

State Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick (D-Lithonia) will host the Georgia Blacks in Tech Policy Conference on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Atlanta City Hall’s Old Council Chambers in Atlanta. Kendrick is chair of the event, and Rodney Sampson, partner of Inclusion and Equity at TechSquare Labs, is co-chair of the event. Attendees will hear from technology leaders and learn about black founders in the technology industry. Additionally, attendees will have the opportunity to present policy changes and initiative recommendations to members of the Georgia General Assembly, and particularly to the members of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus,…